Robotics team earns highest tournament honors

First photo: Vancouver iTech Preparatory’s middle and high school competitors in the state VEX Robotics Competition. Second photo, from left: Principal Darby Meade; Kayl Peck, Megan Lewis and Tyson Boatman, members of the winning Atomic Raven Force team; and Coach Cyndy Hagin. Third and fourth photos: Teams at the state competition in Ellensburg, Washington, on March 11. All photos by Cheryl Boatman.

Seven teams from Vancouver iTech Preparatory competed in the state VEX Robotics Competition in Ellensburg, Washington, on March 11. Three iTech high school teams and one iTech middle school team qualified for the finals.

Atomic Raven Force, a high school team comprised of Kayl Peck, Tyson Boatman and Megan Lewis, bested 50 competitors and took home the Excellence Award. The award recognizes the team that the judges consider to be the best in all categories: overall ranking, robot design, engineering notebook, autonomous programming, driver skills, teamwork and sportsmanship.

Coached by Cyndy Hagin, Atomic Raven Force will travel to the VEX world competition in Louisville, Kentucky, in April.